Pouch or bag holder.



No. 739,783. PATENTED SEPT. 22, 1903.

I W. G. HARDER. V

POUCH 0R BAG HOLDER.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 9, 1902.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented September 22, 1903. V

PATENT Fries.

WALTER G. HARDER, OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES WV. ANDREWS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Pouo OR BAG HOLDER.-

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,783, dated September 22,

Application filed April 9, 1902.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER O. HARDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pouch or Bag Holders; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full,- clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it app'ertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sack or bag holders, and is more especially intended for use in connection with mail-pouches, and has for its object to provide a device'of this character in which the bars forming the frame for holding the mouth of a sack or bag receptacle open may be folded in different ways in increasing or diminishing the area of the opening in' accordance with the arrangement of the supporting-racks and in the economy of space. I

When used in connection with a mail pouch or sack, the device ordinarily becomes a permanent part thereof and is adapted to fold up compactly in tightly closing the mouth of the receptacle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan showing the holder in its largest open position, having a square sack-opening. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the holder converted into a triangular frame, showing a corresponding sackopening. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the holder converted into a small square opening, the area being equal to about one-fourth of the opening shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan showing the holder-frame converted into its closed folded position, the locking-hasp being in its open position. i Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5, Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; and Fig. 6 is a broken-away elevation.

The distending holder-frame com prises the companion rigid side bars A and B, located at opposite sides, a two-part breakdown bar 0, consisting of the sections 7 and 8, and the companion two-part bar D, consisting of the sections 9 and 10, forming the two other opposite sides of a square opening.

The companion twopart bars C and D are pivoted at their respective outer ends to the adjacent ends of the companion rigid side Serial No. 102,044. (No model.)

bars, as at a. The pivot-joint ais set back a short way from the extreme ends of the rigid bars, which are provided with apertures 11 for the insertion of a holding pin or peg 12 in temporarily securing the receptacle to frames or racks 13 for the purpose of supporting the same in its open position, so that mail or other matter can be conveniently dropped therein.

It will be understood that suitable racks or frames are provided in mail-cars, post-offices, and other places which support the pouches or sacks at the proper height from the floor.

The inner joining ends of the companion two-part bars are cut away on the upper and under sides, respectively, and overlap each other, so that these bars are approximately of the same thickness their entire length and which provides each section with a shoulderbearing it, as best shown in Fig. 6.

The companion. sections of the two part bars 0 and D are connected together by a pivot 15, forming an opening and closing joint. The shoulder on one section and the contacting end of the pivotally-joining section are cut away on a bevel and come together on a diagonal line 16,'which limits the outward movement to a straight bar in forming the square opening 17, (shown in Fig. 1,) which is the largestsized opening the holderframe is capable of. being adjusted to.

By breaking one of the two-part bars inwardly and folding the same parallel with and against one of the rigid bars the holderframe is converted into a triangle and provides the receptacle with a triangularshaped opening 18, as shown in Fig. 2. This greatly reduces .the area of the sack-opening from that shown in Fig. l and permits of a greater number of holders being mounted in a limited space, as the triangular frame can be arranged alternately with reference to the wide and contracted ends, thus nesting in and occupying all the available room.

By folding the companion two-part bars so as to bring the two sections of each into a position at right angles the one section of each bar forms the opposite sides of a square frame, the other two sides of the square being composed of one-half of each of the rigid bars, as shown in Fig. 3. This reduces the frameopening 19 to approximately one-fourth of ICO the larger square opening in Fig. l and provides for a different arrangement of the supporting-racks for the holder-frames, a greater number of which can be mounted in a given space, as the corners will nest together.

In converting the frame into the compactlyfolded position (shown in Fig. 4) the sections of the two-part bars are folded upon each other and the two rigid bars brought upon the opposite outsides and alllying closelytogether in a parallel position and tightly closing the mouth of the receptacle.

One end of a hasp 20 is secured to the longitudinal center of the rigid framing-bar B by a pivot 21, inserted loosely through the bar, and is prevented from being disengaged therefrom by a ball-head 22, which permits of the adjustment of the hasp to different positions, as may be necessary in closing and opening the receptacle. The opposite end of the hasp is provided with a staple 23, which passes down through a slot 24in the rigid bar A and in position for the engagement of a lock 25, by which means the holder-bars are securely and conveniently locked-together and access to the receptacle prevented.

The bars are provided on the under side with a downwardly-extending flange 26, Figs. 5 and 6, which is provided at intervals with perforations 27,through which the wire stitching b is inserted in securing the mouth edge of the sack 28 securely to the bars forming the holder-frame.

The dimensions of the mouth of the sackreceptacle will correspond to the full-sized opening of the holder-frame and readily con form to the different changes thereof in accordance with the space to be occupied.

The receptacle may be laid on a table and mail-matter distributed therefrom and deposited therein, as the frame will remain open in the fixed position to which it may be adjusted Whether supported from racks or lying down; neither is it possible to leave any matter in the receptacle when it is held up to be emptied, as is often the case with the ordinary pouch.

The frame-holder also protects the mouth of the sack from wear and tear whether in its open or closed position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. A sack-suspending device consisting of two bars and two transverse bars pivoted by 'in a compact manner in tightly closing asackreceptacle, and means for locking the holderframe in its closed position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a pouch or bag holder, the combination with the rigid companion bars, of the twopart bars having an adjustable connection therewith, all of said bars being provided on the under side with perforated flanges, and means for securing the frame-bars and the sack-receptacle together, substantially as set forth.

4. In a pouch or bag holding frame, the combination of a pair of parallel bars A B with two additional bars 0 D each consisting of a pair of sections hinged together in the middle and arranged to break inwardly for the purpose of allowing one of the said bars 0 or'D to be folded out of the way and the two bars A and B to converge, giving the frame a triangular form, or at will one of the bars A or B to be moved along until its end is opposite the middle of the other While one section of each bar 0 D folds parallel to the bars A B and the other section extends across from one of the latter bars to the other completing a smaller square substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WALTER O. HARDER.

Witnesses: L. M. FREEMAN,

L. B. COUPLAND. 

